Columbus has seen the telling of a number of ghost stories. Virtually every older neighborhood – and some not so old – has a story or two.
Over the years, the people of Columbus and central Ohio have celebrated the season in a variety of ways, not the least of which is children in costume going door-to-door saying “trick or treat.”
Older children and adults often celebrated then, and some still do today, with a party featuring appropriate decorations and refreshments. The neighborhood parties sometimes saw people playing games such as bobbing for apples floating in a tin tub or having a contest to see who could carve the most creative face on a pumpkin. Sometimes the rug would be rolled back in the living room or parlor, and music and dancing would follow.
Fernando Cortez Kelton came to Columbus as a young man, made his money in the retail trade and soon was looking for a place to build a house for his wife and family. In 1852, he astonished his friends by buying a lot that was then “way out in the country.” It was four blocks from the Statehouse. During that trip, Fernando fell and severely bumped his head. Returning to Columbus, he buried his son and went back to work. A short time later, he was leaning out of a third-story window of his office in Columbus. He had a dizzy spell and fell three stories to the street. After several days, he died in his bed at his Town Street home.